Welcome, friends, to another
broadcast of Morsels for Zion's Poor. Someone has wisely said, familiarity
breeds contempt. We see this illustrated in the
present day as we hear not just the openly profane, but many
who call themselves believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, repeatedly
saying, Oh my God, as an expression of amazement. It is extremely
common to hear professing Christians refer to the Lord as Jesus, my
Jesus, or just repeating His name over and over as though
it's a good luck charm that works better than a rabbit's foot.
Yet nowhere in the scriptures can we find an example of any
of the Lord's disciples ever addressing the Lord Jesus Christ
simply by His name, Jesus. They always referred to Him as
Master or Lord. The scriptures tell us that he
has been highly exalted and given a name which is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, things in heaven
and things in earth and things under the earth. If he occupies
such a place of excellent glory, then it seems woefully out of
place for the potsherds of the earth to address him as though
he were just a common man. While it is true that he is indeed
a man, and as a man has accomplished the redemption of his people,
yet he is a man who is above all men, and due the utmost respect
and reverence by those who claim to be his followers. He is not
only a man, but he is also the eternal God, whose name is not
to be taken in vain. If any had the right to be closely
familiar with the Lord Jesus, it would be the Apostle John,
who was very close to him during the Lord's ministry on the earth,
even describing himself as the disciple whom the Lord loveth.
Yet we see John fall upon his face as a dead man when he was
brought face to face with him according to his account in the
first chapter of Revelation. The mighty Savior is not the
buddy of his people, nor a possession which they own. Rather, he is
their deliverer and a very present help in time of trouble. He is
one who sticketh closer than a brother, yet he is worthy to
be praised as the King of glory, who has triumphed over all his
enemies and wrought salvation for sinners who would surely
have perished without his deliverance. In John's vision he said that
he saw innumerable men and angels saying with a loud voice, Worthy
is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and
wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing. And every
creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the
earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them,
heard I saying, Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power,
be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb
for ever and ever. This is the place where he is
presently seated. If this is so, how can it be
that his name should be used as a familiar and common expression? He said, If I be lifted up, I
will draw all men to me. The preaching of the gospel is
the exaltation of Christ alone as the hope of helpless and undone
sinners. He was lifted up as a sacrifice
for the sins of His elect bride, and we seek to lift Him up in
the declaration of the absolute victory which He accomplished
in the giving of Himself as an offering for their sin, which
He wrought in Christ when He raised Him from the dead. and
set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, far above
all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and
every name that is named, not only in this world, but also
in that which is to come, and hath put all things under his
feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all the earth. If you would like a free transcript
of this broadcast, email us at 4the4 at windstream.net. That's
4the4 at W-I-N-D-S-T-R-E-A-N dot net.